Thursday, March 31, 2011

As parents, we are trying to find creative ways to creativly prepare and transition our kids from the US to Kenya. We both know that there will be bumps in the road and it will not be easy. So, whatever we can do for our kids today to prepare them and have fun doing it, we will do.

My oldest son, Ben, loves baseball and is a gifted player. Baseball is a key event in his life that will be missed greatly when we move. Kenya does not have baseball teams. So naturally, Ben says to me one day "Mom, I want to bring baseball gloves to Kenya and teach them how to play".

Our goal is to have 100 gloves by June 15th. Will you join me in finding gloves for us to take over? There are many ways you can give.

First, if you know me, drop it by our home! If you live far away, you can mail the gloves to:

Mattaw Childrens VillagePO Box 375Moorhead, MN 56561

OR

If you don't have baseball gloves but would like to donate money for us to purchase one, please click on the 'donate' tab to the right of this page and giving $10 so we can buy one.

The sweetest part of this journey has been to see how God and provided and answered specific prayer requests our kids have had. To watch our kids grow and learn about how God does care for us and provides for our ever need has been neat. I love their faith.

We pray with the kiddos before bedtime and we ask them to first thank God for all He has blessed us with and then ask God for something they would like to see God provide. Past requests have included providing passport money. Answered! Next has been finding a good home for our dog, Macy. Answered! And now, Ben is praying for 100 baseball gloves.

Will you help Ben reach his goal? What ideas do you have to help me process transitioning 3 kids to another country??

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Today, in Kenya, there are too many orphans. Too many children who go to bed at night without a blankie. Without clothing. With a very hungry tummy.

Without a family.

The numbers are staggering. Depending on what stat you look at, it is estimated at in Kenya alone, there are 2.3 million orphans. Of the 2.3 million, 1.2 million were orphaned due to HIV/AIDS.

That doesn't account for the kiddos orphaned due to poverty.

Anyone of us can get overwhelmed when we think about the statistics, but I choose to focus on a solution. Mattaw doesn't want to just rescue babies. Mattaw invests in the lives of these kids to be a sustainable part of their nation.

I firmly believe that once we have seen situations such as the orphan crisis in Africa, we are responsible to act,to bring change,in some way.

I am so excited to announce Mattaw Children's Village newest addition coming next year.

Introducing.....

Sprouts is going to be Kitale, Kenya's second baby rescue home. We will focus on rescuing Kitale's sweet babies ages preemie to 2 years old. We are shooting high to make this facility as "green" as possible. Meaning, our goal is to keep all the product we bring into Sprouts limited to recycled product or recyclable and toxic-free. Due to Kenya's weak sewage system, we will utilize biodegradable diapers or cloth diapers at all times. The cribs that will furnish Sprouts will be made by a Kenyan man right in Kitale. We will clean and disinfect the Sprouts home with Shaklee products to ensure that our kids are not exposed to harmful chemicals and we hope to supplement our kids' diet with good multivitamins.

Sprouts is designed to nurture up to 50 babies, with 8 bedrooms, dividing the developmental ages of the babies as well as a large playroom in the center of the building. We will provide basic medical care on site, with the goal of building an on-site clinic to provide more extensive care to babies who need inpatient medical care. When our babies are healthy and strong enough, they will be transitioned to one of the Mattaw homes where they will live until they graduate high school and move on to vocational training.

It's going to be amazing. In fact, I've been staring at the blueprints on my kitchen wall for almost a month now. It's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears but it has been amazing to see how generous you all have been in giving towards this ministry.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Okay, BIG deep breath!!! They are out! The last few support letters are OUT! Do you have any idea how nervous I am? We have never been down this avenue before-raising support, and it's a bit nerve-wracking.

Or maybe it's the fact that we are leaving in 4 months.

Or maybe it's just that this winter is showing no signs of going away-and when it does go away we are going head to head with a flood.

We are so thrilled to be a part of Mattaw. THRILLED! And the timing is ONLY God's. Details have fallen into place all over that confirm that it's the time. Funny how that happens.

I (Lindsay) am heading up the donations and design of Mattaw's precious baby home, Sprouts. I have many MANY details coming up this week about how YOU can be a part of helping Kenya's precious babies have a safe, healthy childhood.

It's gonna be good. Don't miss it.

Meanwhile, I've been obsessing about these. Yeah, the Pioneer Woman rocks my world and I've made these twice already, and have almost eaten the entire container of frosting I've made. It's not agreeing with my Turbofire workout or "healthy" diet plan. I'm using "i'm nursing" as my excuse for as long as I possibly can.

So for now, we are continuing to make memories in our community with friends and our kids. We are taking steps forward and God is sustaining us each.and.every.time.

I'm not really sure how to move a family with 3 kids who have only known America to a Third-World Country. But God does. I don't know how to cook there. But God does...and Kimberly does (thank goodness). I don't know how we will homeschool the kids. But God does.

This has been a journey of complete surrender. Reckless abandon.

We need prayer right now for these things. Will you join me?1. A good home for our dog, Macy.2. Provision for 3 kids' passports3. Wisdom for when to put our house on the market.